Saturday, October 23, 2010

In 1996, the International House of Japan and the Japan Foundation jointly launched the Asia Leadership Fellow Program (ALFP).The ALFP seeks to create a close, personal and professional network of public intellectuals in Asia, deeply rooted in and committed to civil society beyond their own cultural, disciplinary and geopolitical backgrounds.

The Fellows from diverse backgrounds take part in such programs as workshops, seminars with resource persons, field trips, a retreat with Japanese and non-Japanese scholars and NGO leaders, and a public symposium.

Since the initiation of the program, the ALFP has annually invitedsix to seven fellows. Nearly90 Fellows from 16 Asian countries from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds have participated to date.

The ALFP believes that the fellows’ critical voices against the status quo and proposals for alternative solutions will lead to developing new norms and value-orientations for the future of the region.

Who is Eligible for ALFP?

The ALFP is open to citizens of Northeast-, Southeast- and South-Asian countries, aged 35 to 59, inclusive. A postgraduate degree is not a prerequisite, but applicants must have a good command of English and have demonstrated outstanding leadership ability or potential in their own professions.

There is no prescribed set of professions for an ALFP fellow; the professions of past fellows include, but are not limited to, academia, journalism, business, national and local politics, education, administration, the arts, publications, and NGO and non-profit activities. The ALFP is also eager to broaden the professional and disciplinary backgrounds of fellows. Regardless of his/her profession, a fellow is expected to have access to a wide audience in his/her country or region through publications, teaching, media, performance, etc. to disseminate his/her thoughts and findings.

ALFP seeks public intellectuals who are deeply rooted in and committed to civil society beyond their own cultural, disciplinary and geopolitical backgrounds.

Selection criteria include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Having a certain degree of achievement and having demonstrated outstanding leadership ability or potential.

2. Going beyond one's discipline or field of specialty and having an intellectual impact in order to solve the problems facing global society today, from the broader perspective of the common public good and humanitarian causes.

3. Being able to think tolerantly and alternatively about different way of thinking and cultural values, and being willing to develop new social norms and value-orientations.

4. Being ready and willing to work, share concerns, and embrace differences with other fellows, who have diverse specialties and cultural backgrounds, in order to contribute to the building of an equitable civil society in the region while reaching out to the general public.

5. Having a good command of English that will enable one to communicate and engage in deep/substantial discussions in English.

ALFP is not intended for:

・”Leadership Development” training for students and young professionals

・Japanese Studies

・Supporting individual research projects of any kind

Fellowship Terms& Conditions

Selection criteria include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Round-trip airfare between Tokyo and the city where the fellow is based

4. Other costs related to group activities, including a field trip and a retreat

Fellows must participate in all the program’s activities, including workshops, seminars, the retreat meeting, field trips and the public symposium, and make necessary preparations for these activities as set by the program.

Fellows must spend the entire fellowship period at the International House of Japan in Tokyo except for the two-week individual activities period. Families cannot be accommodated for the duration of the fellowship.

Fellows are required to submit a final report, reflecting their fellowship experience, for publication in the Program Report.

Documents to be Submitted

Applicants should submit the following documents by post to the ALFP Secretariat by Monday, December 20, 2010.